Hasta La Gadget!

Games app downloads to smartphones and tablets are set to grow significantly over the next four years, according to a new report by analyst Juniper Research which projects there will be 64.1 billion such downloads in 2017 — more than three times the 21 billion downloaded in 2012. Key drivers powering this high rate of growth are increasing numbers of free-to-play releases (aka the freemium business model), as well as more sophisticated devices and the continued global uptake of smartphones, says the analyst.

The dominance of freemium as a games app business model is very evident from the analyst’s figures: in 2017, it expects just 7% of games to be paid for at the point of purchase, across smartphones and tablets. In-app purchases and/or advertising are presumably how games developers will be mostly earning a buck.

Juniper says mobile will become the primary screen for gamers, thanks to an increase in the number of “sophisticated games, which allow for truly multi-platform gameplay through the use of cloud technology”. Growth in the quantity of memory on devices is also enabling consumers to download more games. And while Juniper is not expecting smartphones and tablets to kill off dedicated portable gaming devices, it says there’s no doubt consumer mobiles are challenging and eroding the latter market — with players such as Nintendo cutting its sales forecasts by 14% for its 3DS, and 27% for its Wii U.

Social & Casual games will remain the most popular genre downloaded, according to Juniper’s forecast — with over half of all smartphone games downloaded fitting this genre. That’s in keeping with the key characteristics of mobile devices: always-on connectivity, which means being wired in to social services; and portability, meaning these devices are suited for short bursts of casual gaming to kill time.

Looking specifically at tablets, Juniper found their users are especially keen on downloading games, with more than twice the number of games downloads to tablets than smartphones.  ”Tablet games are growing so much because they are such an accessible way for all consumer segments to access games. In particular mid-core gamers, who previously spent a lot of money and time playing games but now have jobs, families or other commitments, are driving this trend,” commented report author Siân Rowlands in a statement.  ”These people are really embracing the tablet form factor, and innovative gameplay devices such as the mobile based OUYA console, really appeal to them.”

Many avid PC gamers usually opt for building their own computer, citing lower costs of components over pre-built machines. However, custom PC maker Digital Storm has something to say about that, with the introduction of the new Vanquish gaming PC line. The new computers look to settle the DIY debate once and for all.

Gaming rigs from boutique computer makers usually cost a couple thousand dollars, but Digital Storm is aiming to put that fact to rest with their Vanquish lineup of gaming PCs that start at $699. The entry level rig comes packing with an AMD FX-4300, 8GB of RAM, 1TB HDD, Radeon HD 7750 graphics, and Windows 7.

Digital Storm says that this only $38 more than what you would pay for these same parts on Newegg, with the company’s most-expensive Vanquish rig only costing $58 more than the same build from parts on Newegg. Of course, this isn’t a huge difference and you’re obviously still paying a bit more if you bought from Digital Storm.

However, this isn’t the cheapest gaming rig we’ve seen from a boutique computer maker, iBUYPOWER’s newer Revolt gaming rig lineup starts at just $499. We ended up reviewing one of their high-end Revolt builds, and we liked it a lot. However, there’s simply nothing more satisfying than building your own PC. No matter which way you go, it seems Digital Storm is at the ready for when you decide purchase a pre-built machine.

Digital Storm Vanquish fights back against DIY gaming rigs is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The latest installment in the Batman video game series, which is set to arrive on October 25 later this year, is rumored to be packing multiplayer functionality. If true, Batman: Arkham Origins will be the first game out of the series to come with multiplayer where you can play as both the protagonist and the antagonists.

According to Kotaku, two anonymous sources have come forward saying that Origins will arrive with multiplayer, being the first to offer such a feature — Arkham Asylum and Arkham City only came with a single player campaign. Kotaku says that one of the tipsters was the same one who correctly predicted the title of the game, as well as the setting (Christmas Eve with snow in the background).

It’s said that players will be able to play as a member of Joker or Bane’s gang with the task of trying to take down Batman and Robin. As for the bad guys who could be playable and customizable in the game include Killer Croc, Deadshot, Firefly, Black Mask, Deathstroke, and possibly Electrocutioner.

For the time being, it’s unsure whether or not the game will come with multiple multiplayer modes, but sources have seemed to hint at the possibility that there may be more than one mode to play with friends. Of course, we’re taking this with a grain of salt for now, but we should be hearing more about the game as it gets closer to its October 25 release date.

[via Kotaku]

Batman: Arkham Origins rumored to come with multiplayer is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

After the whole fiasco with the release of SimCity earlier this year, it seems that things have finally settled, and players are now able to build their cities in peace. However, there’s going to be another server shutdown come Monday, but only to make room for the game’s first major update, which is set to hit April 22.

Electronic Arts has announced that the update will hit on Monday starting at 1 pm PT and will bring the game to version 2.0. It contains “a number of top-requested bug fixes and improvements,” but the publisher was kind enough to provide a massive list of everything that will be provided in the update.

Some of the more important updates address issues with tourists, delays in receiving invitations, and phantom audio problems. It will also provide color-corrects when in a colorblind mode in the HUD, and data maps will show the filtered color when a color filter is enabled, unless you’re in a colorblind mode.

Other than that, casinos will be more profitable, and there will be a slew of fixes to the game’s budget-based systems, including fire, garbage, and sewage. Public transit will also see a number of improvements, including a fix for that annoying infinite loop problem that some players have been experiencing.

SimCity getting first major update on April 22 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft is back for yet another month of being on top of the gaming console charts. The company announced today that the Xbox 360 has been the best-selling gaming console in the US for the 27th straight month, selling 261,000 units in March, which is down from 302,000 in February, but it seems it was still enough to retain the lead.

Total money spent on the Xbox 360 platform reached $402 million in March as well. This includes hardware, games, and accessories, and the Xbox 360 has sold more of all that than any other gaming console in the US as well, which is fairly impressive, especially for a console that’s several years old and still beat out the new Nintendo Wii U.

As for the most popular video games during March, Xbox 360 versions held six of the 10 positions on the list, with games such as BioShock Infinite, NBA 2K13, Gears of War: Judgment, Tomb Raider, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. BioShock Infinite just released last month as well and it lead the list for most sales in March.

If you’re rocking an Xbox 360, don’t forget about the free Xbox Live Gold weekend that’s going on right now. Silver members can get free access to the good stuff until Monday at 1 pm ET. You’ll be able to use Netflix to watch the new Hemlock Grove original series, as well as take part in double XP in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Far Cry 3, and Assassin’s Creed III.

Xbox 360 best-selling console for 27 straight months in US is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.